Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation is on view at Bellevue Arts Museum September 30 – March 10, 2023.

Bellevue, WA— Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) is thrilled to announce its upcoming exhibition, "Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation," which will showcase the exceptional work of contemporary women artists who employ fragmentation as a powerful tool in their creative process. This engaging exhibition, set to open on September 30, 2023 will captivate art enthusiasts with over 200 prints created by 21 female contemporary artists, each exploring the concept of fragmentation in their unique way.

This exhibition is a testament to the diversity and creativity of contemporary women artists and emphasizes the underrepresented voices of women artists of color who have often been overlooked in museum collections and exhibitions. This extraordinary collection features artists who use fragmentation, the deconstructing and reassembling of elements such as shape, color, perspective, text, idea, or stereotype, to question the status quo and reveal new insights.

Some of the prominent artists featured in the exhibition include Betye Saar and Wendy Red Star who construct new meanings and iconographies through the assemblage of repurposed imagery while Lorna Simpson, Ellen Gallagher, and Jenny Holzer employ fragmented text to shed light on the limitations and power of language. Louise Bourgeois and Wangechi Mutu focus on the body, with works that isolate body parts or combine them from various sources to challenge assumptions about gender and race. And Nicola Lopez and Sarah Morris both explore architecture by distilling and rearranging its elements to highlight the unseen social forces that shape our environments.

"Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation" is one of Seattle region’s major exhibitions of the year. The exhibition opens on September 30, 2023. Be sure to mark your calendars and join us for this exceptional exploration of contemporary art.

Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation was originally organized by The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and National Museum of Women in the Arts, curated by Virginia Treanor, Ph.D, and Kathryn Wat. Bellevue Arts Museum is generously supported by its donors and members. Exhibition Presenting Sponsors: Jordan Schnitzer, Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Care Foundation Exhibition Season Sponsors: Microsoft, 4Culture, Rebecca A. Lyman in honor of her mother, Eloise B. Armen, Laura Dillaway, ArtsWA, City of Bellevue, Cathay Bank, Puget Sound Energy, and ArtsFund. Media Partners: The Seattle Times, KCTS 9, and The Stranger.

ABOUT JORDAN D. SCHNITZER AND HIS FAMILY FOUNDATION

Jordan Schnitzer is a renowned art collector who started collecting contemporary art at age 14. With a collection that exceeds 20,000 works and includes many of today’s leading contemporary artists, it has grown to be one of the country’s largest and finest private collections—particularly famous for its expansive collection of prints and multiples. His foundation, the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, generously lends works to qualified institutions and has organized more than 160 exhibitions of art from his collections, which have been exhibited in over 120 museums. To learn more about the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, please visit: jordanschnitzer.org.

ABOUT BELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM

The mission of the Bellevue Arts Museum is Engaging people in the power of art, craft and design. bellevuearts.org

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Featured art: Judy Chicago, Through the Flower 4, edition 8/10, 1972 lithograph 22 x 22 in.; Image: © 2023 Judy Chicago / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Nicole Eisenman, Picabia Filter III, edition 10 of 15, 2018 intaglio with drypoint 22 1/2 x 15 in.; Image: © Nicole Eisenman. Courtesy of the artist and Grand Press. Barbara Takenaga, (detail) Angel (Little Egypt) State I, edition 13/15, 2007 lithograph with metallic gold powder 24 1/4 x 20 1/4 in.; Image: Courtesy of the artist and Shark’s Ink. (Caledonia Curry) Swoon, (detail) Thalassa, 2020 Silkscreen with hand painted acrylic gouache colors on paper mounted to wooden door 77 x 30 x 1 in.; Image: © 2023 Swoon / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. All artworks are from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.